SP in poll mode, banking on youth power

THE RULING Samajwadi Party has launched hectic preparations for state assembly elections. Apart from identifying candidates from grass roots organisations, moves are also afoot to get feedback about ticket seekers. There is a flurry of activity to gear up the organisation at the district level. Though Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has repeatedly said the election will be held on time, the party is already in poll mode.

THE RULING Samajwadi Party has launched hectic preparations for state assembly elections. Apart from identifying candidates from grass roots organisations, moves are also afoot to get feedback about ticket seekers.
There is a flurry of activity to gear up the organisation at the district level.
Though Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has repeatedly said the election will be held on time, the party is already in poll mode.

The SP leadership is not satisfied with the functioning of district leaders. It has thus also planned to involve frontal organisations in electioneering on a large scale. Instructions have been issued to youth wings to popularise the government’s programmes and policies.

The party has thus once again fallen back on youth power to regain lost ground in the state. Because of party ministers and other leaders’ poor performance, the SP now plans to project the frontal organisations under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav.

The chief minister has issued instructions to youth wings to prepare a “confidential report” about the performance of party leaders, including ministers. There is a feeling in the party that in order to pursue their vested interests, senior leaders largely ignored youth wings in the districts. This is posing problems now. Desperate moves are on to plug loopholes in the organisation. The leadership is of the view that only the youth wings can steer through the crisis for which “power-hungry elements” are largely responsible.

Party general secretary and MP Beni Prasad Verma, who had been sulking due to his neglect by the party, has now been assigned work to glavanise the organisation. He will undertake a six-day tour of eastern UP from April 10 to hold meetings with local leaders. By belatedly deploying Beni Prasad Verma, the party has sent a signal to the Kurmi community that it cares about them. It has also started wooing Brahmins.

Taking a leaf out of its archrival BSP’s book, the ruling party organised a Brahmin conference here last week. However, slackness on the part of senior leaders, including ministers, has caused concern to leadership. Yadav has pointed out that they have become “power hungry” and are not doing anything to gear up the party for the elections. It is for this reason the chief minister has taken it upon himself to interact directly with people all over the State.

Even though the party is facing the anti-incumbency factor, Yadav and his son Akhilesh continue to be its best bet.